HEAT IS ON: Novak Djokovic, of Serbia (middle), and coaches Andre Agassi (left) and Radek Stepanek during a practice session at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne.MARK CRISTINO

When does hot become too hot?

EACH January, desert-driven northerly winds bring an intense heat to the typically mild-weathered city of Melbourne.

So it's safe to say players who have made the trip down under to vie for glory in the Australian Open know what awaits.

But the conditions the players have been forced to play in over the past couple of days has been ridiculous.

A court temperature of 69 degrees was recorded during the match between Novak Djokovic and Gael Monfils on Thursday.

Seeing two players as athletic as Djokovic and Monfils struggle to handle the scorching mid-afternoon sun was uncomfortable viewing.

Djokovic, who won the match in three excruciating hours, suggested greater flexibility should be shown in the circumstances after both players received time warnings as they sat in their chairs with ice packs around their necks.

The Australian Open does have a heat policy which states matches on outside courts will be halted and roofs closed on capable venues when temperatures rise above 40 degrees, ambient temperature not court temperature, and humidity goes above a certain level.

But surely tournament organisers have a duty of care to not only the athletes but also to umpires, lines people, ball kids and spectators - spectators who, it seems, let their feelings be heard by their feet, with attendance over the past two days dropping significantly.

When you have two of the most athletic players in the sport struggling with the level of heat, surely they need to be flexible and not stick to some overly official heat policy.

If the athletes were struggling, imagine how the poor ball kids were feeling, having to stand and run on a court that recorded nearly 70 degree temperatures.

Yes, a mid-January tournament in Australia means there is every chance it will be extremely hot.

And yes, there was a time when an extreme heat policy didn't exist, but there is good reason why there is now: welfare - a welfare that extends equally to those who can cope with the heat and those who can't.